Computer program products for measuring critical dimensions of fine patterns using scanning electron microscope pictures and secondary electron signal profiles

Abstract

A pattern is inspected by acquiring a scanning electron microscope picture of an inspection pattern, and acquiring a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern. A determination is made as to whether the inspection pattern is defective by comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope picture of a sample pattern, and by comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of a sample pattern.

1. A computer program product that is configured to inspect a pattern, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the mediums the computer-readable program code comprising:
 computer-readable program code that is configured to acquire a scanning electron microscope picture of an inspection pattern; 
 computer-readable program code that is configured to acquire a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern using the scanning electron microscope picture; and 
 computer-readable program code that is configured to determine whether the inspection pattern is defective by comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope picture of a sample pattern and by comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of a sample pattern. 
 
   
   
     2. A computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to determine whether the inspection pattern is defective comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to determine that the inspection pattern is not defective if comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern to the scanning electron microscope picture of the sample pattern indicates that the inspection pattern is defective, but comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the sample pattern indicates that the inspection pattern is not defective. 
   
   
     3. A computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to determine whether the inspection pattern is defective comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to determine whether the inspection pattern is defective by first comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope picture of a sample pattern and by then comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of a sample pattern. 
   
   
     4. A computer program product that is configured to inspect a pattern, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
 computer-readable program code that is configured to acquire a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of an inspection pattern using a scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern; 
 computer-readable program code that is configured to determine whether the inspection pattern is defective by comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of a sample pattern; and 
 computer-readable program code that is configured to measure a width of the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern in response to determining that the inspection pattern is not defective.